Make your X-Y capable analog oscilloscope more useful!
Your oscilloscope can do a lot more using the
Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock
Hardware version 3.1
This kit is no longer available but I am in the process of ordering a new batch of PCBs. I will make these PCBs available soon. Please email me if interested.
Look at the Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock, with new firmware version V4.0
Hardware features:
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Connects to your analog scope in X-Y mode using BNC cables or probes (1x, 10x) |
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Uses the Atmel AVR Atmega328p with 32KB flashmemory |
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On board 5V power regulator for use with user provided wall adapter (8-15V DC center positive) |
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Power plug (5.5mm outside diameter) included |
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On-board Real-Time Clock with 32.768kHz crystal and battery backup: this clock won't lose time! |
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Digital to Analog converter with built-in OpAmp (AD7302): no probes required. |
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On-board true RS-232 level converter for the serial port |
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Professionally made dual sided 3" x 3" PCB (with solder masks and silkscreen) |
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Optional external 5V Power |
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BNC connectors on PCB: use standard BNC cables |
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DB9 connector on PCB: use a standard RS-232 cable. |
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On-Off switch on PCB |
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Two tactile switches on PCB |
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Intensity Control Output, both positive and negative going |
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Footprint on PCB for optional USB interface |
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Header to select power from USB interface |
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Header for External Clock Signal (GPS 1 Pulse Per Second, Rubidium Oscillator etc.) |
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Headers provide easy access to TTL level Serial Port |
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Extensive FAQ document available on this website |
Date display |
Digital Display |
Firmware V4.0 features:
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Select different applications/modes from the on-screen menu: Clock, Terminal, Function Generator, Calibration Screen, Demo and Boot. |
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User control with 2 push button switches, including auto-repeat operation |
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150-250 Hz refresh rate (dependent on the selected clock face mode) |
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Set Time and Date using the on-board button switches. |
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Set clock options and modes with On Screen Menu using the push button switches |
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Roman Numerals Clock Display Option |
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New Clock face: Digital Display Mode now supported (Menu-Dial:Dig) with moving dial dot |
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Binary Clock Display option, together with Hexadecimal numeric Display (Bi-Hex clock) |
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Fractional Seconds display option showing time in 1/100 of a second increments. |
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The AVR Oscilloscope Clock supports a total of 37 different display combinations, many more when including the "Day of the Week" Display Option |
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The Terminal application now supports Persistent Vector Graphics, allowing you to run a games like Asteroids on another computer (PC or AVR based) and use the AVR Clock board as the display device (communication using the Serial Connection). |
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Help Screen, selected by a short S2 push |
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Simple Alarm Clock built-in. Use Menu to turn the Alarm on/off (Menu-Alarm:On). Use the On Screen Change Mode option to set the Alarm Time. |
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On board LED option to show the time in Morse Code (Menu-Led:Morse). |
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Day of the Week display on the screen (Menu-Name:Day) |
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Optionally add your own name to the Clock Display |
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Automatic Daylight Saving Time correction for the years 2008-2014 for the USA and the EU |
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Automatic Screen Repositioning to prevent screen Burn-in; control Burn-In protection frequency from 1 to 9 minutes, or turn the feature off. |
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Display Calibration mode |
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Multiple PPS (pulse per Second) options |
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Software correctable Time Accuracy |
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Play modes to have some fun with the clock. |
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Clean Reset of the EEProm Configuration Data option |
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Select from Multiple Baud Rates for the Serial Interface on the Menu, now including the 250,000 baud value |
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Automatic Time and Date setting when connected to the NMEA Serial output from a GPS device; turning GPS mode on now remembers the current Serial Port speed setting and restores that value when turning GPS mode off |
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The Function Generator has been sped up by 1 cycle, allowing for higher frequency waveforms. |
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Use the IOCTL serial command to select unusual options. |
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Firmware pre-programmed and upgradeable through the Serial Interface using the built-in boot-loader. |
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On board very small boot-loader, less than 512 words, leaving 31KB code space available |
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Boot-loader is STK500V1 compatible and uses avrdude to upload firmware (see WinAVR) |
Additional features:
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Firmware rewritten in C for V4.0 and up. This is an Open Source Project. |
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Greatly enhanced Character Rendering, both in quality and speed |
Besides keeping accurate time using both clock hands and numeric display, this AVR clock provides a host of options like:
Changing the time or date is done using the on-board push button switches; the item being changed will flash. Depending on the selected display, this can be text (numeric display), a clock hand (analog clock only display) or even columns of "lights" (binary clock only display). |
On Screen Menu
Binary Clock Display 11:49:14 |
This is what the assembled board looks like:
PCB Dimensions: 3" by 3"
A video showing the AVR Oscilloscope clock V3.1 in DEMO mode on a Tektronix 608 X-Y monitor is posted on YouTube. An X-Y monitor is essentially a low frequency oscilloscope without the time-base section. The Tektronix 608 has a very good CRT and the image quality is the best possible.
Any flickering visible in this video is due to interaction with the camera shutter. The AVR Clock has very high refresh rates and shows a rock solid image.
This AVR Oscilloscope clock was available as a kit, using all through-hole components. The kit shown below includes all the components necessary to assemble the board shown above (the Enhanced kit), including a preprogrammed ATmega328p microcontroller. It does not include an oscilloscope and requires an external wall adapter (8-15V DC, center positive) or +5V regulated power source. Most external wall adapters should fit without any problems. If it doesn't, use the included DC Power plug. Just make sure it is hooked up with the center as the positive side (outside shaft GND).
Low-end Digital Scopes will not work well, High-end Digital Scopes do work (Tek TDS2014B, Tek TDS3034B, Tek TPS2024, HP54600B)
Please note that the firmware used on this AVR Clock is an Open Source application (the Source Code is available below) and is completely free. The price of the kit covers the parts, labor, and distribution only; there is no charge for the firmware and it is programmed into the AVR microcontroller as a courtesy.
For more information, please email me at:
Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock on Tektronix 475
Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock Links:
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Clock with Roman Numerals |
Calibration Screen |
Clock with Alarm Time |
Clock with Day of the Week Display |
Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock on Tektronix TDS3034B
What others are saying about the AVR Oscilloscope Clock:
"No need to sit down for the kit price, at $35.00 this
will make a great addition to any workbench!"
(Alan Parekh on
Hacked Gadgets)
"That pretty much puts all of the oscilloscope art I have seen to shame"
(NGinuity on Hacked Gadgets)
"The Geekiest Oscilloscope Clock Yet"
(James Grahame on
Retrothing )
"This is a fantastic looking kit, turn an oscilloscope into a clock!"
"It's great. Makes an awesome clock out of an oscilloscope. Not bad for $351."
(Phillip Torrone in
Make Magazine
May 2007 and
Make Magazine July 2007
Looking for the original version of the Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock? Click on the image below
Customer Links:
The picture to the right shows Ethan Dicks' AVR Oscilloscope Clock (hardware 2.0) operating at the South Pole! Note that he's opted for the Roman Numerals Display, though Ethan likes the Binary Clock Display as well. |
Credits:
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Frank Bemelman for doing the first Scope Clock using an Oscilloscope in X-Y mode |
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Sascha Ittner for his vector coordinates generator example |
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Dennis Tillman, John Miles, Joe Sousa and David Giller for technical assistance |
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Amy for her patience, thanks! |
Technical information:
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Datasheet ATmega328p (Microcontroller) |
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Datasheet AD7302 (DAC) |
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Datasheet PCF8563 (RTC) |
Oscilloscope Clock - Scope Clock - CRT Clock Links:
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http://www.franktechniek.nl/Kits/oscilloscopeclock/oscilloscopeclock.htm |
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http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Leserbriefe/Scope-Clock/Scope-Clock.htm (German) |
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